Senior Program Director – Owner’s Representative (Pharmaceutical - Construction)

Cumming Group; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 151,743 - 167,723; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k)

401(k) Matching

Paid Time Off

Paid Holidays

Short and long-term disability

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Cumming Group is a leading project and cost management consultancy delivering complex, high-value programs across the pharmaceutical sector. This role focuses on leading cross-functional teams through controls, CQV, GMP and regulatory readiness, ensuring governance and execution excellence.

With 15+ years in pharma/biotech capital projects and a background in greenfield cGMP facilities, you will drive multi-prime contractor coordination, risk management, and executive reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, or related discipline.
• 15+ years of pharmaceutical or biotechnology capital project experience.
• 5+ years in a Program Director, Project Director, or comparable role.
• Experience delivering greenfield cGMP manufacturing facilities from design through startup.
• Experience overseeing capital programs valued at $1 billion or more preferred.
• PMP preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the owner’s representative team across project controls, CQV, technical/GMP, EHS, construction, and procurement.
• Establish program governance, reporting, decision authority, RACI, and escalation procedures.
• Manage program scope, cost, schedule, risk, quality, safety, and regulatory-readiness requirements.
• Coordinate EPC, EPCM, design, construction, equipment, and specialty contractors.
• Provide executive reporting on cost, schedule, safety, quality, technical, and regulatory performance.

Skills

Large-scale pharma delivery

cGMP manufacturing

Multi-EPC management

Pharma engineering & CQV

Governance & risk reporting

Regulatory readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Construction/PM

15+ years pharma/biotech capital projects

5+ years in Program/Project Director

Greenfield cGMP facilities experience

Capital programs $1B+ experience

PMP preferred

Job description

At Cumming Group, you will work on some of the world's most exciting projects in a dynamic environment where your success is measured by the impact you make. We are one of the fastest-growing project and cost management consultancies in the United States, as reflected in our top 10 rankings in ENR. With over 60 offices globally, an extremely diverse project portfolio, and double-digit year-over-year revenue growth, the opportunities to make your mark are limitless!

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead the owner’s representative team across project controls, CQV, technical/GMP, EHS, construction, and procurement.
• Establish program governance, reporting, decision authority, RACI, and escalation procedures.
• Manage program scope, cost, schedule, risk, quality, safety, and regulatory-readiness requirements.
• Coordinate EPC, EPCM, design, construction, equipment, and specialty contractors.
• Manage interfaces across manufacturing buildings, central utilities, laboratories, warehouses, tank farms, and site infrastructure.
• Resolve contractor scope gaps, sequencing conflicts, and ownership issues.
• Oversee the Project Execution Plan, integrated master schedule, cost baseline, risk register, procurement plan, and CQV strategy.
• Review forecasts, changes, risks, contractor performance, and recovery plans.
• Integrate design, procurement, construction, commissioning, qualification, startup, and operational readiness.
• Provide executive reporting on cost, schedule, safety, quality, technical, and regulatory performance.

Knowledge & Skills Required

• Large-scale pharmaceutical capital project delivery.
• Greenfield API, biologics, peptide, bioconjugate, or other cGMP manufacturing programs.
• Multi-EPC or multi-prime contractor management.
• Pharmaceutical engineering, procurement, construction, CQV, startup, and operational readiness.
• cGMP facility design, process utilities, automation, manufacturing systems, and validation.
• Program governance, change control, risk management, and performance reporting.

Preferred Education And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, or a related discipline.
• 15+ years of pharmaceutical or biotechnology capital project experience.
• 5+ years in a Program Director, Project Director, or comparable role.
• Experience delivering greenfield cGMP manufacturing facilities from design through startup.
• Experience overseeing capital programs valued at $1 billion or more preferred.
• PMP preferred.

Cumming Group is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunity in its personnel policies and practices. It is Cumming Group’s policy to recruit, hire, train and promote Team Members and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, marital status, registered domestic partner status, genetic information, sexual preference, sexual orientation, gender (including gender expression and gender identity), pregnancy (including childbirth or related medical conditions, including breastfeeding), military service, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical disability, mental disability, veteran status or any other protected classification under federal, state, or local law. All such decisions are based on (1) individual merit, qualifications, and competence as they relate to the particular position, and (2) promotion of the principle of equal employment opportunity.

All other terms and conditions of employment, such as compensation, benefits, transfers, layoff, return from layoff, training, education, and social and recreational programs, are administered without regard to the characteristics described above. To this end, Cumming Group complies with all provisions of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, all of the rules, regulations and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor, and all similar state and local laws.

The salary range for this full-time role is $133,100.00-$186,366.69 per year. Ranges are determined based on the position, geography, client and industry experience and level, and represent a good faith effort to provide a fair and equitable salary. This range reflects base salary only, and not the total compensation package. Cumming Group reserves the right to pay more or less than the posted range, depending on a candidate’s experience, skills, and qualifications, including client requirements.

In addition to base salary, Cumming Group offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Medical
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• 401(k)
• 401(k) Matching
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Short and long-term disability
• Employee Assistance Program